Vivian Vande Velde
I am a huge, gigantic, raining-down-the-Special-Shelf-awards fan of Vivian Vande Velde. Most of her books are pretty short, but all include her notable dry humor, deceptively deep stories, and inventive twists. Also, I love how she writes her heroes. Swoon. And their often hate-turned-love romances with very flawed but totally endearing heroines gets me every time.
Charged as a witch (she's not), tied to a stake, and left out as a sacrifice to the local dragon, Alys has seen better days. Furious with the town and vowing revenge, Alys finds an unexpected ally in the dragon--a dragon who can magically shape shift into the form of a very attractive young man.
Alys is exactly the type of heroine I adore. She's strong-willed, stubborn, persistent, and entirely real. And that dragon? Oh swoon! He so nails that "lazily sarcastic" attitude I love so much. But don't expect a romance-filled plot. Alys is firmly focused on revenge, but following her as she schemes is a ton of fun.
Release Date: October 1, 2008
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Children's Books
Pages: 158
Goodreads Page
The villages have had enough--their children have been stolen by the witch in the woods for too long. They attack the witch in her home, but she, and the baby she has just stolen, both disappear. Later that day, a 12-year-old girl appears in the woods with no memory of who she is or how she arrived in the woods. Who is she? What happened to the witch and the baby? Could this girl be one of the children stolen years ago?
At only 158 pages, there isn't a whole lot of depth here and everything reads more like a novella than a full novel. But sometimes that's ok. I was enthralled with the mystery and, though I had my suspicions, Vivian Vande Velde kept me guessing until the very end.
Release Date: November 30, 1990
Publisher: Magic Carpet Books
Pages: 256
Goodreads Page
Think fantasy computer games are fun? Imagine a game that plugged directly into your brain so you felt like you were actually IN the game? Pretty cool, right? But what if things start to go wrong? What if you don't just feel like you're in the game, but you actually are IN the game? And what happens if you die in the game?
The whole concept of this book grabbed me from the start. I'm not really into video games, but this is close enough to the idea of getting sucked into a book that I'm all over it. I also really liked keeping track of the characters and their game alter-egos. Pair it with the companion novel Heir Apparent for extra fantasy gaming fun! (Both books can be read as standalones, and in any order).
Release Date: October 30, 2005
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Children's Books
Pages: 120
Goodreads Page
Nyssa's family was murdered six years ago and she is convinced the murderer is the nobleman's son Elsdon. Determined to prove his guilt, she uses her witchy powers of dream walking to slip into Elsdon's dreams and collect the evidence she needs to convince the town. What she discovers is not at all what she, or the reader, expects.
At only 120 pages, this is another book that reads more like a novella than a full novel. While part of me wishes Vivian Vande Velde had fleshed this out more (because I know this would have been a fantastic novel), I do appreciate how much she was able to pack into so few pages.
The mystery intrigued me and I was shocked by the ending. The characters may not be incredibly deep, but their plights are so emotionally charged and their feelings so understandable that I couldn't help but feel a strong connection. The emotional topic and Vivian Vande Velde's sensitive handling make this a special book that stands out to me.
Release Date: September 1, 1997
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 229
Goodreads Page
Lylene is determined to rescue her sister Beryl after Beryl is kidnapped on her wedding day. Before Lylene can challenge Beryl's kidnapper, she must first enlist the help of a sketchy wizard who promises to teach Lylene magic...with a catch. A con man and a handsome but mysterious warrior round out Lylene's off-beat group of allies.
This is the book that made me create the Special Shelf. Lylene, Shile, and Weiland are the characters I hold up as the standard for my favorite characters ever. Read the companion novel The Changeling Prince to learn more about that swoony warrior and friendly con man (both books are standalones and you can read them in any order).
For fans of Alexandra Bracken's Brightly Woven and Maria V. Snyder's Poison Study and Touch of Power.
Have you read any of these books? Feel free to add links to your reviews!
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*Sigh* COMPANIONS OF THE NIGHT, Small. That's got to be on any Vivian Vande Velde list!
ReplyDeleteOf course. It's on part two :)
DeleteOh
ReplyDeleteI don't think I know much abou this author - didn't she write Blood and Chocolate? I don't remember the book but I'm pretty sure I saw the movie ( I remember 'case it was Bad, LOL).
anyway, some of those books sound great and I'm all for short(er) books! LOL
Thanks for the spotlight post :D
Blood and Chocolate is by Annette Curtis Klause. I don't know why, but I always mentally pair her with Vivian Vande Velde (maybe 'cause I first read their books around the same time). The movie was atrociously bad, but I liked the book a lot.
DeleteHonestly, I always mix them up too! I think it's the three-names thing.
DeleteAnyways! I think I'm gonna get me dragon bait as it sounds awesome :D
These sound fabulous. What age would you say her books are for? Middle Grade? Dragon's Bait sounds especially good.
ReplyDeleteTechnically they're MG, but I think they're MG/YA crossovers like The False Prince.
DeleteI read a couple of her books in middle school and thought they were pretty good. None of the books on this list, though - Heir Apparent and...well, actually, I believe the other book of which I'm thinking is by another author. Whoops. I get Turnabout by Margaret Peterson Haddix confused with Vande Velde, for some reason.
ReplyDeleteI think we're all getting confused with the three-name authors :P
DeleteI liked Heir Apparent a lot!
The first and last one seem like my kind of read. I think I read one by her a while ago but I can't remember anything about it. Guess it wasn't one of her good ones.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think you'd like both of them! I can also see you appreciating the spin in Witch Dreams.
DeleteSmall, I've never read any of Velde's books but Dragon's Bait and The Conjurer Princess sound like they'd be something I like. I'll have to check out those two!
ReplyDeleteYou haven't?! Oh my, I think you'd love her books, particularly the two you mentioned. I hope you can read them soon!
DeleteI've been dipping in and out of Cloaked in Red and although 8 different versions of the same fairytale has turned out to be a bit too much for me, I have been enjoying Velde's tongue-in-cheek writing style. I'd be willing to give one of her novels a try.
ReplyDeleteI love her tongue-in-cheek style. It does carry over to her other books. Not quite as overtly as in Cloaked in Red, but it's definitely there. I'd highly recommend The Conjurer Princess and Dragon's Bait to you especially.
DeleteI love Vivian Vande Velde too! It all started for me when my mom gave me A Hidden Magic when I was 9ish. I probably read it 50 times. I haven't read all her stuff, and it sounds like I need to read The Conjurer Princess asap because it looks like my kind of book. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteA Hidden Magic is very cute! I wish I had read it when I was younger. I think my nine-year-old self would have fallen in love with it. :) I hope you enjoy The COnjurer Princess! It's one of my all-time favorites.
DeleteI haven't read any of these books by Vivian, but I do have Heir Apparent and Companions of the Night in my tbr pile. I hope they are good as well!
ReplyDeleteThey are both great! I love her take on vampires in Companions of the Night.
DeleteI've liked most of the Vande Velde books I've read, starting with A Hidden Magic, which I've always loved. But I haven't heard of a lot of the ones you've got here. I'll have to go looking!
ReplyDeleteSome pretty horrendous covers I see here, so I'll just have to take your word for it that what's on the inside is actually brilliant and not at all a reflection of the outside. I love it when your spotlight posts highlight older reads because I really have no idea about them and am much more focused on current reads (as most bloggers are). I'll definitely have to be on the lookout for Vivian Vande Velde's (such a great name!) books in used bookstores and whatnot. Especially The Conjurer Princess! The concept for User Unfriendly reminds me of Insignia and The Other Normals.
ReplyDelete